Inarkiev Wins Baku Open
Ernesto Inarkiev won the Baku Open on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old Russian edged out Constantin Lupulescu of Romania on tiebreak after both grandmasters finished on 7.0/9.
Ferenc Berkes of Hungary and Vladimir Onischuk of Ukraine tied for third place with 6.5 points.
The 6th Baku Open took place September 22-30 at the AF Hotel in Novkhani, just north of the capital of Azerbaijan. In the top group, a record number of 70 participants from 22 countries participated, including 28 GMs and 14 IMs.
Dedicated to the 23rd Independence Day in Azerbaijan, the festival was organized by the Azerbaijan Youth & Sport Ministry and the Azerbaijan Chess Federation. The total prize fund was U.S. $50,000. There was also a youth tournament where more than 100 children played.
In a field where 16 players were rated higher than 2600 (but none above 2700), Ernesto Inarkiev of Russia emerged as the winner after nine rounds. His tiebreak was better than that of Constantin Lupulescu of Romania, who finished on the same final score: 7.0/9.
After four rounds, one player was left with a perfect score: GM Andrey Baryshpolets of Ukraine. Among his victims was the strong compatriot Zahar Efimeko.
But after a draw (again as White) with another Ukrainian, GM Alexander Areshchenko, Baryshpolets faced Ernesto Inarkiev as Black. That didn't go so well:
Inarkiev continued with two draws, against Michal Krasenkow of Poland and Constantin Lupulescu of Romania. The latter would eventually tie for first with Inarkiev after both players won their games in the last round.
Inarkiev's opponent blew a drawn rook ending:
Lupulescu improved upon a game of Danish legend Bent Larsen from 1958:
2014 Baku Open| Final Standings (Top 25)
| Rk. | SNo | Title | Name | FED | RtgI | Pts. | TB1 | TB2 | rtg+/- |
| 1 | 2 | GM | Inarkiev Ernesto | RUS | 2672 | 7 | 2528 | 6 | 9 |
| 2 | 12 | GM | Lupulescu Constantin | ROU | 2630 | 7 | 2512 | 5 | 11,8 |
| 3 | 8 | GM | Berkes Ferenc | HUN | 2649 | 6,5 | 2502 | 4 | 3 |
| 4 | 19 | GM | Onischuk Vladimir | UKR | 2593 | 6,5 | 2475 | 5 | 7,5 |
| 5 | 23 | GM | Baryshpolets Andrey | UKR | 2540 | 6 | 2566 | 5 | 18,9 |
| 6 | 3 | GM | Areshchenko Alexander | UKR | 2664 | 6 | 2545 | 4 | -0,7 |
| 7 | 10 | GM | Efimenko Zahar | UKR | 2641 | 6 | 2485 | 4 | -2,7 |
| 8 | 11 | GM | Krasenkow Michal | POL | 2636 | 6 | 2465 | 4 | -3,7 |
| 9 | 15 | GM | Smirnov Pavel | RUS | 2611 | 6 | 2461 | 4 | -1,7 |
| 10 | 1 | GM | Zhigalko Sergei | BLR | 2677 | 6 | 2452 | 5 | -9,3 |
| 11 | 4 | GM | Kuzubov Yuriy | UKR | 2663 | 6 | 2425 | 4 | -10,6 |
| 12 | 7 | GM | Kovalenko Igor | LAT | 2650 | 6 | 2331 | 4 | -15,5 |
| 13 | 27 | IM | Donchenko Alexander | GER | 2501 | 5,5 | 2597 | 3 | 22,1 |
| 14 | 6 | GM | Artemiev Vladislav | RUS | 2650 | 5,5 | 2512 | 5 | -6 |
| 15 | 16 | GM | Iordachescu Viorel | MDA | 2603 | 5,5 | 2497 | 3 | -1,7 |
| 16 | 18 | GM | Salem A.R. Saleh | UAE | 2594 | 5,5 | 2466 | 5 | -0,6 |
| 17 | 13 | GM | Mamedov Nidjat | AZE | 2624 | 5,5 | 2435 | 4 | -12,9 |
| 18 | 9 | GM | Volokitin Andrei | UKR | 2642 | 5,5 | 2387 | 4 | -15,5 |
| 19 | 14 | GM | Shimanov Aleksandr | RUS | 2624 | 5,5 | 2372 | 3 | -17,5 |
| 20 | 30 | GM | Darini Pouria | IRI | 2442 | 5 | 2544 | 4 | 17,2 |
(Full final standings here)
Baku is also the place where the the first tournament in the 2014-2015 FIDE Grand Prix series will be held.
The first edition, which will officially be opened today, has the following participants: Fabiano Caruana, Alexander Grischuk, Sergey Karjakin, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Hikaru Nakamura, Leinier Dominguez, Boris Gelfand, Peter Svidler, Teimour Radjabov, Dmitry Andreikin, Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Evgeny Tomashevsky.
You can find the tournament website here.
